


Lie to Me

by reader51402



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fire, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I'm Sorry, I'm trying my best, Identity Reveal, Master Fu Ships It, Secret Identity, This is my first miraculous fic, Violence, Wizard of Oz References, also marinette deserves better from me, awkward teens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-05-28 04:36:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15040859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reader51402/pseuds/reader51402
Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir are trapped by a villain that can detect lies. Clearly, a recipe for disaster in the form of identity reveals.





	1. Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone who is taking the time to read this! Hopefully I'll write more Miraculous stuff in the future.
> 
> The Sin-You is a mythological creature from Japanese legend that can instantly detect lies and impales anyone who lies to it. There's a short Wikipedia page if you're interested.

This was not the first time Ladybug and Chat Noir had been tied up. At this point in their superhero careers, getting restrained or trapped by an akumatized villain was pretty old news. This time, however, there was a new problem: the Sin-You, as she was called, had the power to detect lies.

“Are you okay?” Ladybug whispered. She glanced over at Chat Noir next to her. He was watching, tense, as the Sin-You impaled another citizen with her horn, and the poor man dissolved into ash.

Chat nodded and kept his eyes on their foe. “It won’t be long until she starts questioning us, and as much as I’m curious about your identity, my Lady, I’d rather not see you turned into a pile of dust.” He turned back towards her. “Can you use your Lucky Charm?”

Ladybug sighed and shook her head. “I can’t move my arms,” she replied. She didn’t mention the fact that her heart had started to beat faster as soon as he mentioned their secret identities. Marinette knew, objectively at least, that it was safer for them not to know each other’s real names. But after that night on her balcony, when Chat had confessed his love for Ladybug, and Marinette had told him about Adrien, she secretly wished that they could reveal themselves. She had imagined what that moment would feel like, when she finally knew who Chat Noir was, and he could know her. She dreamed of them being able to just talk to each other, without the barrier of the masks and the lies. As much as she hated to admit it out loud, she thought of Chat Noir as a friend, and wished that she could be around him without the imminent threat of an akuma always hanging over their heads.

 _Speaking of imminent threats_ , she thought, and resumed her struggle against her ropes as the Sin-You prowled towards her and Chat. Their villain this time, from what they had gathered, was a young woman whose boyfriend had been cheating. It seemed as though the woman had caught him in a lie, and in her anger, had been akumatized into a large, lion-like creature with the ability to instantly detect lies. A power like this spelled danger for the two heroes, as they suspected Hawk Moth had instructed the Sin-You to determine their true identities.

As the Sin-You slowed to a stop in front of Chat Noir, she began to speak.

“So, Mr. Noir, I have heard so much about you.”

She slowly sat down on her back haunches and eyed him in a way that Ladybug could only describe as thoroughly feline.

“Why don’t we find out how much of it is true?”

Ladybug looked on helplessly as Chat tried to scoot himself backwards, away from the Sin-You, but he couldn’t make it more than an inch or two.

The villain continued, “I’d like to get straight to the point,” and she grinned ferociously at her own words. “What is your real name?”

 

ㆍㆍㆍ

 

Adrien was prepared for the question. From what he had seen, the Sin-You could detect lies, but she couldn’t force people to tell the truth. So, he figured, all he had to do was dodge the question.

“I don’t want to tell you,” he said simply. He saw out of the corned of his vision as Ladybug’s eyes widened slightly, and the Sin-You snarled.

“What is your name,” the Sin-You said again, a bit more forcefully.

“It’s words that my parents use to identify me,” he replied, and grinned back at the creature. Ladybug snorted a little from her place beside him.

The Sin-You stood up to her full height and roared, causing the remaining citizens in the area to flee. Then she stilled completely. Her head slowly tipped back down to the pair in front of her, and Adrien could see the savage smile that filled her face. He suddenly felt a lot less confident in his tactics.

The Sin-You looked at Chat once, and then shifted her gaze to Ladybug. Adrien’s heart sped up. He knew exactly what the villain was going to do next, and knew he was powerless to resist. Even though his romantic feelings for Ladybug were known to very few, everyone who had heard of the pair knew that Chat Noir would do anything for her. Anything, including giving up his secret identity.

 

ㆍㆍㆍ

 

Ladybug had almost finished loosening the knot that held her hands when the Sin-You turned her attention over to the spotted hero. Ladybug sat motionless as the creature approached slowly, and leaned down to her level. The Sin-You’s large, _very_ sharp horn came closer and closer until it was just barely resting on Marinette’s chest. She held her breath in fear, and prayed that Chat Noir would be able to get out of his own ropes.

“Perhaps,” the Sin-You growled, “this will motivate you.”

Ladybug looked straight ahead, but could feel her partner’s eyes burning holes through the Sin-You.

“I’ll ask you one last time, Mr. Noir, what is your real name?”

Chat Noir said nothing, and Ladybug silently thanked him for his resilience. She could never forgive herself if she was the reason he was forced to reveal his closely-guarded identity.

The Sin-You interrupted her thoughts however, when she slowly, _excruciatingly_ , started to press her horn into Ladybug. Marinette gasped as she felt the burning pain of the horn against her skin, and felt every nanometer of pressure as the tip pierced her skin. Chat Noir said nothing, and Marinette squeezed her eyes shut as the horn sank deeper into her chest. The pain was like nothing she’d ever felt. She tried to stay silent, in the hopes that Chat wouldn’t break if he didn’t know how much it hurt. But the pain was too great, and Marinette let out a tiny whimper. She knew it was getting closer to her heart.

“Well, Mr.Noir? Are you willing to let you partner die to keep your secret?”

Chat Noir said nothing, but his breaths were audible and fast. Marinette couldn’t control her tears any longer. She sent a silent prayer up that Chat would be able to defeat the Sin-You alone. Her chest felt like it was on fire, and Marinette could feel her consciousness slipping away. And then two words, whispered from the boy beside her.

“Adrien Agreste.”

And everything went dark.


	2. The Jitterbug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So turns out all the chapter titles are gonna be shit from the Wizard of Oz, because I think I'm hilarious. That being said, this chapter is not hilarious. Thanks for reading!

Adrien  _ screamed _ . 

Ladybug slumped the ground, bleeding. The Sin-You cackled as she pulled her horn roughly out of Ladybug’s body. 

“You’re lucky I didn’t reach her heart, or she would be a pile of ash,” The Sin-You said, and turned back to Adrien. He was thrashing wildly in his ropes, trying to get lose, trying to get to Ladybug. He had to get to Ladybug. He didn’t think of what he had just said, and what it would cost him. It didn’t  _ matter _ if Hawk Moth knew who he was, or if everyone did. All that mattered was her.

 

ㆍㆍㆍ

 

Marinette came to quickly and violently. Her eyes flew open to see Chat Noir crouching over her, his brows furrowed in concentration as he evaluated her wound. Marinette glanced down at her chest. As soon as she saw the blood soaking her suit, the pain in her torso came rushing back at full speed. She gasped out loud as the agonizing heat seared through her again. 

“My Lady, you’re awake!”

Marinette weakly nodded. She tried to sit up, but stopped short as she felt like she was being stabbed again. She instead tried to look around. 

She and Chat were in the same place they had been tied up, but the Sin-You was nowhere in sight. The small plaza that surrounded them was silent and still, but Marinette could see the small piles of ash that signified the effects of the villain had not been reversed. She looked back at Chat, wondering what exactly he had done while she was unconscious. He was trying his best to tend to her injury, but seemed altogether unconcerned with their surroundings or the location of the Sin-You. 

“What happened?” she asked weakly. 

Chat didn’t look up from his work. “I took care of it,” he said. He held up with one hand something Ladybug had never seen before. It was the akuma,  _ pinned _ to an empty coffee cup.   She winced, although she wasn’t sure if it was a reaction to the mutilated butterfly or the pressure being put on her chest. She looked back at Chat questioningly, and he obliged, keeping his eyes on what he was doing. 

“I was able to break out of my ropes and shatter its horn, which is where the akuma was. But I couldn’t undo any of this without you,” he said, and his voice broke a little on the final few words. “I can’t do any of this without you,” he whispered. 

Marinette had noticed, now, that he refused to make eye contact with her. She kept her gaze on him anyway.

“It’s okay, kitty. I’m okay,” she said to Chat. No, not Chat, she remembered.  _ Adrien _ . The memory hit her like a bolt of lightning.  _ Adrien Agreste _ , he had said. Those two words filled her head. She didn’t want it to be true. How could it be? Adrien Agreste, the boy she had been in love with since the very first moment they met, was Chat Noir, her partner in not-so-much-crime? And not only that, but he had confessed to her as Marinette that he was in love with Ladybug? The realizations flooded her and her heartbeat picked up speed. She didn’t know if she wanted it to be true or not. She stared at Chat, and the obvious stared back. The golden-blond hair, the dazzling green eyes, the charisma, the bravery. She was breathing heavily at this point, and it didn’t take Chat long to notice. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, “Am I hurting you?”

Marinette shook her head mutely. She wasn’t sure if she should say anything. She was painfully aware of the fact that he probably wasn’t sure if she heard his name or not, seeing as how she had passed out at almost the exact same moment. He was probably just as nervous as she was. What would he think if she told him that she knew who he was? What would he think if she told him who _ she _ was? The awkward girl who sat behind him in class, who couldn’t even get a sentence out around him. The girl who was  _ nothing _ in comparison to him. Would he be disappointed?

She knew she couldn’t stay here any longer, and the beeps from her earrings confirmed it. She slowly propped herself up and reached for her yo-yo and the akuma. The process of reversing the effects of their enemies, something she normally thought of as a sort of cleansing, felt empty. The cries of the newly resurrected citizens was muted in comparison to the beating of her own heart. 

“Bye, bye, little butterfly,” she whispered. Chat shuffled to his feet, and slowly, working together, managed to get Ladybug standing up. She was painfully aware of his proximity as he propped her arm around his shoulders, and she tried to pull herself off him. 

“What are you doing, my lady? We need to get you to a hospital right away,” he protested, but she shook him off. 

“Our disguises are about to wear off. I can take care of myself, I promise,” she replied. He looked at her incredulously, but this time she was the one avoiding eye contact. “Besides, I can’t go to a hospital anyway. They would ask too many questions,” she added.

He just looked at her again, trying to shrink in her own skin, and said nothing. She finally peeked at him and gave a small smile as reassurance. Then she pivoted, and began walking away, towards home. Chat didn’t attempt to follow, and she was grateful for that. 

She had a lot to process, and it was better if she did it alone. 

 


	3. If I Only Had The Nerve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little introspection goes a long way.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Alya, I promise.” Marinette hung up her phone and tossed it onto her bed. She thanked God, again, that her best friend didn’t have the time to check on her today. She had managed to isolate herself for the day by staying home from school sick, but she was nervous about having to talk to Alya. It was a relief that she didn’t have to cross that bridge quite yet. She wasn’t exactly sure how she would explain obvious bruise on her chest, or her obvious emotional distraught. Alya was great to talk to about Adrien most of the time, but Marinette doubted she could understand the my-superhero-partner-who-is-in-love-with-my-superhero-identity-is-actually-the-boy-I’m-in-love-with situation. Marinette couldn’t entirely comprehend it herself. 

She, of course, understood that it was fact. There was no way to convince herself otherwise. What she had trouble with, however, was grasping the repercussions this inflicted on the rest of her life. The fact that every time she had ever gone to school with Adrien, she had been in school with Chat Noir.  _ Chat Noir was in her chemistry class _ . The fact that every time Chat Noir had leapt into battle with her, Adrien had been risking his life.  _ She fought crime with Adrien Agreste _ . The fact that when Chat Noir landed on her balcony, it was Adrien coming to her for help.  _ Adrien was in love with Ladybug _ . And, of course, the fact that every moment that she had ever spent being friends with Chat Noir, she had become closer to Adrien.  _ Her first ki--  _

A muffled  _ thump _ startled Marinette from where she had been sitting at her desk. She bolted to her feet, ready to fight, but a pang from her chest sent her collapsing back into her chair and reminded her that she was not in fighting shape. Instead, she propped herself back up onto her feet, grabbed a blanket to keep her warm, and ventured onto her balcony to investigate the noise. 

 

ㆍㆍㆍ

 

Adrien wasn’t sure what motivated him to seek Marinette’s company on this particular night. Maybe it was because he wanted the safety of anonymity, especially now that Hawk Moth might know his identity. Maybe it was because his partner had almost died not more than twenty-four hours ago, and he wanted to talk to someone who wasn’t in imminent danger. Or maybe it was just that Marinette reminded him of Ladybug, sometimes, when she was talking to him as Chat, and not as Adrien. Marinette definitely was not like Ladybug when talking to Adrien. 

Whatever the reason, he thought, Marinette could probably use the company as well. She had been nowhere to be found during school that day, and Alya had been more than happy to sulk about her sick friend. The only thing more distracting than Adrien’s identity crisis was Nino’s less-than-subtle attempt to comfort Alya in ways that involved a lot of physical contact. That boy was even more love-sick than Adrien. 

As he approached the edge of the next roof, Adrien lagged and came to a stop. He abruptly wished that Ladybug was with him. She hadn’t looked to good after their battle with the Sin-You, and there was no way to find her to make sure she was alright. Even if she was alright, he mused, he would’ve liked to spend more time just roaming Paris with her. Adrien steadfastly ignored his own intimate reaction to that thought. To the thought of wandering around the City of Love with Ladybug. Or maybe with whoever was behind the Ladybug mask. Adrien picked up his pace again, and tried not to think about how it matched the uptake in his heartbeat. Someday, he thought to himself. Someday. 

 

ㆍㆍㆍ

 

“Well this is unexpected,” Marinette said, in a tone that was much lighter than she was feeling. “A little kitty landed on my balcony.”

And indeed, one had. Chat Noir was perched on the railing, looking as sheepish as she had ever seen. She was all at once thankful that she had grabbed herself a blanket. Not only did it protect her from the biting cold of the night’s air, but it also covered the dark bruise that peeked over the neckline of her tank top. 

“And how are you on this wonderful evening, Marinette?” Chat inquired gracefully. He leapt down from his place on the railing and alighted himself instead on the concrete ledge. He turned his emerald gaze on her, and Marinette felt very small all of a sudden. She nodded, wide eyed, then cursed herself for her incompetence. 

“I’m alright,” she replied. She tried to smile a little to reassure him. “I was a little sick today, but I’m feeling much better now.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Chat said softly, and Marinette almost stopped breathing. He sounded so--  _ heartbroken _ . She examined him again. He looked his usual self; sleek, styled, charming. Or at least, that’s how he would look to anyone else. Marinette, however, knew him better than that. She could see the red tint to his eyes, the slump to his shoulders, the falsehood in his smile. She could see the things that only someone who had spent hours studying Adrien Agreste could see. 

Marinette looked at him. She looked at Chat Noir, and she looked at Adrien Agreste. And she said, “I’m sorry too, Adrien.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who has ten fingers and hates writing dialogue? Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! I really appreciate all the comments and positive feedback I've received on this so far. Hopefully the next chapter will give my babies a break, but this is all completely improvised, so no promises. See you next chapter!


	4. It Really Was No Miracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette doesn't know when to stop, and Adrien doesn't know where to start.

Adrien froze. The only sound on the balcony was the chill wind ruffling through Marinette’s roses. Marinette’s eyes were fixed on a caterpillar that was scuttling over her railing. 

“How long,” he breathed. He watched as she walked over to the caterpillar and put her hand out for it to walk on. 

“Not long,” she replied, equally as quiet. “A day or two.”

“How? And-- and who else knows?” He was breathing more heavily now.  _ This can’t be happening _ . He had been so careful. He had done  _ everything _ to make sure no one knew. Until the Sin-You, that is. Until Ladybug had been bleeding out next to him, and he had been ready to do anything to save her. Until Adrien Agreste didn’t matter anymore. The boy who was  _ nothing  _ in comparison to her. 

“No one else knows.” 

She still wasn’t looking at him. The object of her attentions, the caterpillar, was weaving through her fingers and over her palm. She looked at it wistfully, as if she knew it would grow wings and fly away any second. Adrien didn’t comment on how she avoided his first question. He wondered numbly if she had been there in the plaza, when he had told the Sin-You. If she had been hiding in the trees, or if she was one of the people who got turned to ash. He didn’t ask. 

“Are you…” Marinette trailed off. She let out a soft sigh. “Are you okay?”

Adrien looked at her. Was he  _ okay _ ? He had no idea how to answer. Marinette quickly continued when he didn’t respond. 

“I mean, are you upset? I know that you and Ladybug don’t want people to know your identities. It could be dangerous! If I were Ladybug, I wouldn’t want people to know. Of course, if I were Ladybug, I wouldn’t have found out in the first place. You know I won’t tell anyone. Well, I don’t know if you know, but now you do. I’m not going to tell anyone. That would be terrible of me! I promise I won’t. Besides--” Marinette stopped short. Her face flushed red and she pulled her blanket tighter around her body. “Sorry,” she mumbled, “I was rambling.” 

Adrien wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry. He settled for smiling at her instead. 

“It’s alright, Marinette. I’m… alright.” 

He nodded on the last word. He wondered if it was to assure Marinette or himself. He looked at her again. She was shivering now, and Adrien was suddenly aware of how cold it was on the balcony. He slipped off the ledge.

“You look cold,” he said. “We should get you insi--”

The sound of a loud crash shook the air and cut off his sentence. Adrien frowned and turned toward the direction of the noise. Smoke was billowing from the streets to the north, and he could already hear the screams of civilians. He leapt up onto the railing to get a better look, but couldn’t see anything over the rooftops. He turned back towards Marinette, and found her looking almost amused. He didn’t have to say anything.

“Go, Adrien,” she said. “Go be a hero.”

He grinned at her, and bowed with poise. Then he leapt off of her balcony and onto the rooftop next door. 

“Chat!” Marinette called out from behind him. He turned. She looked like she was about to say something. She blushed again, bright red, but looked him in the eye. 

“Be careful.”

 

ㆍㆍㆍ

 

As soon as Chat was out of sight, Marinette bolted back into her room. If there was danger, there was no way she was letting Adrien go out there alone. 

“Tikki, spots on!”

In an instant she was transformed. No longer just Marinette, she thought. Something  _ more _ . She climbed back up to the balcony, and, ignoring the dull ache in her chest, set off in the same direction as Chat. The night was still cold and bitter, but Marinette could barely feel it. She had more important things on her mind.

It didn’t take long to reach the source of the chaos. The first thing she saw was Chat. More specifically, Chat vaulting into a burning building. Marinette picked up her pace and tried to take stock of the situation. 

The source of the smoke they had seen earlier was a large office building lit up with flames. The blaze illuminated the horde of firefighters and paramedics surrounding the building on the ground. The scent of smoke mixed with the night air. Marinette could hear shouting from the officials on the ground, screaming from the civilians still trapped in the building, and the groan of metal from top few floors, which had collapsed in on themselves. As Marinette neared the edge of the roof, she flung her yo-yo up and toward the building in front of her. As it neared an exposed pipe on the wall, she flicked her wrist and the yo-yo wrapped itself around the pipe. She pulled the string taut, leapt off the roof, and swung directly through a window and into the inferno. 

 

ㆍㆍㆍ

 

Adrien could barely see. The air in the building was hazy with smoke and the dancing flames cast a red glow over the whole scene. As he fought his way across the next office floor, he kept an eye out for any civilians still trapped, and also, of course, for Ladybug. His partner hadn’t shown up yet, but he knew it wouldn’t be long. In fact, usually she was the first one to the scene. He frowned as he considered whether it might be her injury slowing her down. He hadn’t heard anything since the Sin-You, but then again, there hadn’t been a new crisis since then. Neither of them had ever been injured that badly before. There was no frame of reference on whether Ladybug’s magic could reverse severe injury, and Ladybug had rushed off before he could really check on it. He prayed that she had sought medical attention if she needed it. And that she would arrive soon. Really soon. The fire was only getting hotter, and he was concerned about whether he could cover the whole building in time. 

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a scream rung out from the other end of the floor. Chat broke into a sprint at the sound. As he approached, he saw a woman crouching on the floor, over a smoldering beam. No, not over a smoldering beam. Over a person trapped under the smoldering beam. The woman looked up when she saw him coming, and he could see the tears in her frightened eyes. She was coughing, too, clearly trying to speak. 

“She-- she saved me,” the woman said, just loud enough for Adrien to hear, and looked back at the figure sadly.

Adrien was close enough, now, to see the figure more clearly. It was a woman, dressed in red. In  _ all _ red. 

Adrien fell to his knees next to Ladybug’s head. She was still conscious, but barely. Still, she smiled softly when she saw Chat next to her. Adrien looked around frantically for anything,  _ anything _ , that would help him. That would help her. The other woman was still kneeling nearby. She was praying, he thought. He was praying too. 

“Go,” Ladybug said, her voice rough. “Get her out of here.”

Adrien just shook his head. He was close to tears. 

“I-- I can’t leave you,” he said. Ladybug gazed at him in a way that he had never seen before. Like she was studying him. Like she was seeing him for the first time. 

Like she was seeing him for the last time. 

_ No _ , he thought,  _ no.  _ But she was looking at him like that, and he knew he could never refuse her. 

“I--” Adrien tried to say something. He didn’t know what. Ladybug just smiled at him again. He tried to smile back. He stood up and turned back toward the other woman. She was standing, too, and he picked her up as gently as he could. He took his staff, too, and wound it up in preparation to vault out the window right next to them. He glanced back at Ladybug, and she was still watching him. He knew how he looked in that moment: covered in ashes, and utterly devastated. 

And she said, “It’s alright, Adrien. I’m… alright.”

His staff deployed, and he flew out the window, toward safety below. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I'm going to be spending time with family for the next few days, so the next one might be a little late too. Also, sorry I keep hurting Marinette. She deserves better. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Off to See the Wizard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette wakes up, again.

Marinette was on fire. She could smell the smoke, and taste it too. She was squinting against the bright flames, but it was too much for her eyes. The heat seared her skin and she writhed against it, trying to get away, but it was everywhere. She struggled to take a breath, but she could feel the lack of oxygen in the air. She tried again, but knew that it didn’t make a difference. No matter how much air she took in, she couldn’t breathe.  _ I can’t breathe _ , she thought.  _ I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t bre-- _

“Marinette!”

Marinette’s eyes flew open. Blazing white light flooded her vision and her hand flew up to shield her view. When the brilliance faded, she opened her eyes again. 

Master Fu’s head bobbed above her, sporting a very concerned look. 

“You’re alright, Marinette,” he soothed, “you’re safe.”

Marinette tried to lift her head up, but immediately was hit with a wave of dizziness and pain. 

“Wh- What happened,” she asked. Her voice was raspy and weak. She couldn’t think, couldn’t remember. There was a building, a fire,  _ Adrien _ . She tried to sit up again, and Master Fu supported her gently until she was at least propped up on her elbows. 

“What happened is that you were reckless, Marinette. Brave and noble, but reckless.” 

“I’m sorry! But I had to save her and the building was coming down and what else was I supposed to do? Just let her be crushed? And then let Adr-- I mean Chat leave her there while he carried me out? And-- and is he okay? Did he get out? Where--” she realized that she was breathing harder than she should be. Her head felt like it was about to float off her shoulders. Or maybe crush her body, she wasn’t sure. She figured maybe she should lie down again. 

Master Fu shook his head a little and helped Marinette back onto what she realized was the same bed he had healed Tikki on all those months ago. 

“You did what you thought was best. There isn’t much more I could ask of you. As for Chat?” He pointed his finger towards the corner of the room. Marinette followed his gaze and was startled to see Adrien curled up, clearly asleep, on an armchair nestled between two potted plants.  _ Huh _ , she thought _ , no costume. Master Fu must know his identity _ . Then she almost winced.  _ Of course he knows _ , she chastised herself.  _ But he knows that I know.  _

“He has been there since he brought you to me. Hasn’t moved a bit the whole time.” Marinette squinted suspiciously at Master Fu. Was he… smiling? But she couldn’t focus on that now. 

“And how long  _ have  _ I been here?” she asked. Master Fu sighed. 

“Two days.”

“ _ Two days _ ,” Marinette choked.  _ Two da--  _ What did her parents think? She had never been gone that long without calling. They must have all of Paris looking for her by now! 

“Do not fear, Marinette,” said Master Fu, almost as if he could hear her internal dialogue running at full speed. “I was able to convince all the necessary people that you were safe and with a friend. They won’t come looking until you are ready to be found.”

That calmed her down a little. 

“And has he… has he said anything?” Marinette didn’t need to clarify who she was talking about. She and Master Fu were both looking at Adrien, whose sound sleep was quite impressive given how uncomfortable his position looked. 

“The young man has been quite stoic,” Master Fu considered, “but this is certainly the most relaxed he’s looked in forty hours.” 

Almost as if to prove Master Fu wrong, Adrien awoke at that very moment. His eyes slid open and he slowly blinked twice, adjusting to the light in the room. Then, almost as if he realized --or maybe remembered-- something, his head swung around and his gaze landed straight on Marinette, who was suddenly,  _ painfully _ , realizing that she wasn’t wearing her suit. And what she was wearing could be described, at best, as sparse. She was grateful for what healing Master Fu had been able to do, but could he not have done it while she was wearing pants? Her outfit was comprised of simply a pair of soft cotton shorts and a thin tank top. She hunched over herself as much as she could without being obvious. 

My lady! I mean Mari-- I mean--” Adrien let out a huff and scratched his jaw. He ducked his head a little and settled on a smile. “I’m glad you’re awake.” 

“Thanks,” she mumbled, and cringed at the sound of her own voice. The smoke inhalation had clearly taken its toll, and the sound was raspy and low. She cleared her throat as best she could. “Thanks.”

Adrien stood and began to walk over. He was cautious, clearly unsure of how she would react to his proximity. She wondered if he was uncomfortable being around her like this. If he wished she were someone else. 

He sat lightly on the edge of the mattress, about as far away from her as he could get while still technically sitting on the bed. She sat up too, as much as she could. Adrien rushed to help her. He gently put his hands under her back and supported her as she rose, and rotated so that her legs were dangling off the bed. Marinette felt her skin tingle under his touch, and could sense her cheeks reddening a little. Thankfully, she was fine by the time he had gone back to his previous position, with a good three feet of bed between them. 

Adrien was staring at her, and Marinette  _ really  _ wished she was wearing pants. She knew it probably wouldn’t actually do much, but at least she would have a little more dignity. A little. 

Master Fu stood up from his chair behind them with a start, causing both teens to flinch and whip their heads around. He raised his eyebrows at the both of them. 

“It seems like you two have a lot to talk about,” he said, and Marinette thought she sensed a little humor in his tone. It made her nervous. Master Fu ambled towards the sliding door.

“I’ll leave you alone for a bit,” he said, and turned back to address Marinette. “Be careful with yourself, Marinette. Make sure to drink a lot of water, and get rest. The only thing that will fully heal you is time.” 

He crossed the threshold of the doorway, then pivoted again. 

“And Marinette,” he warned, “No strenuous physical activity.”

She wondered if it was physically possible to die of embarrassment. Or if she could survive the jump out the window. Master Fu shut the sliding door with a loud click.

And with that, they were alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long. I was with family, and then my computer broke, and now I'm using an eight-year-old desktop. Anyway, I know this chapter doesn't have a whole lot of plot but it was actually kinda fun. I think I just discovered how to write a joke. Also, this fic probably isn't going to have more than two more chapters. It's already longer than my original plan, and I really want to get to the fluff. Also also, there have been quite a few negative comments on the last few chapters? I get that the characterization might have been a little different but if you don't like it, don't read it. There is absolutely no need to comment on every chapter to tell me how out of character they are. Like seriously, I almost didn't write this because I didn't want to get the comments. So just... don't. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Optimistic Voices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelation, realization, and just a little desperation.

“Are y--”

“How di--”

They both stopped short. Marinette let out a slight giggle, that given her physical and probable mental state, sounded a little hysterical to Adrien. He made a sweeping gesture to indicate that she should talk first. 

“Thank you for getting me out.” she said softly. “And I’m sorry. For everything, really. The secrets and the fire and the lying and then making you handle all of it an--,” She took a breath. “And I’m sorry.” 

She wasn’t looking at him, but instead the both of them were staring at the wall opposite them. Marinette, in contrast to him, was sitting with just her feet dangling off the side of the bed and her shoulders hunched. He, on the other hand, was perched on the very edge of the mattress, feet on the floor, as if ready to run at a moment’s notice. And maybe he was ready to run. He wasn’t really sure. He tried to relax his stance a little bit, but his body didn’t seem to respond. He wondered what it knew that he didn’t. 

“It’s--” He was about to say that it was okay. But it wasn’t, really. It wasn’t fair what she had done. Not telling him that she knew, then telling him as Marinette, and leaping into that building, and only telling him at the very final moment, when he thought she was going to  _ die _ . It wasn’t fair. She should have told him the truth. He  _ deserved _ the truth. This was what he had said all along, that they should know each other’s identities. For protection, mainly, but also for trust. Did she not trust him?

“I… I don’t know why you did it. But I think you must have had a good reason. Or… I really hope you did.” He saw, out of the corner of his eye, her shoulders hunch even further. She pulled her legs up so that they were folded on the bed. She didn’t say anything for a few seconds. When she finally spoke, her voice was rough again, as it had been when she first woke up. 

“I was afraid.”

That made Adrien turn his head. Her face, although mostly hidden by hair, was bright pink. 

“Afraid of what?” He demanded, then softened his tone. “Afraid of what, Marinette?”

She looked terrified now, and that only made him more frustrated. What did she think was going to happen? She was hunched in on herself about as far as he thought was physically possible. Her bare skin, which there was a lot of, was tinted pink, although he didn’t know if that was from emotions or if it was left over from her burns. He wasn’t sure which he would’ve preferred. She looked like she wished she could disappear. Or that he would disappear, maybe. Maybe she just wanted him to leave. 

“I was scared-- scared that you would be--” Her volume was barely above a whisper. “That you would be disappointed.”

Her voice was so low that Adrien wasn’t sure he had heard right. Disappointed? Why would he be disappointed? If anything she should be the one that was let down. Her superhero partner turned out to be the spoiled rich kid who went to high school with her. It didn’t exactly seem like the kind of thing she would wish for. And yet, she was scared that  _ he  _ would be disappointed. As if he could ever be upset that the girl he was in love with was also the shy, but intelligent, compassionate,  _ joyful _ girl that he knew from school. 

He had had two days to think about this. Two days, to look at her, to think about her, to be terrified that she would wake up and leave. Or that she wouldn’t wake up at all. Two days to realize that she meant the world to him, as both Ladybug and Marinette. And yet, in two days, it had never crossed his mind that  _ she _ would be scared of what he might think. But then again, if this past week had taught him anything, it was that they didn’t know each other as well as he thought. 

Marinette, by this point, had clearly realized he was lost in thought. 

“I wasn’t sure what you would think,” she continued, “and I wasn’t sure what I wanted you to think. You were right, by the way, that we should have known each other’s identities. I think we could have avoided all of this, if I had just listened to you. If I hadn’t been such a  _ coward _ .” Her voice broke, and Adrien realized that she was crying. 

Her entire body was shaking, although she made no sound. He wanted, more than anything, to reach out and touch her. To take her in his arms and tell her that it was okay, that she was okay, and that he could never,  _ ever _ , be disappointed in her. But he didn’t know how she felt. If she wanted him, if her heart ached in the same way that his did. So instead, he shifted a little closer to her on the bed, closing the gap just enough so that he could feel the warmth of her body, and put a hand on her shoulder. 

Marinette flinched the second he touched her, and he instantly withdrew his hand. But she sniffled softly and turned her head slightly towards him, and he could see that her tears had stopped. She rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes and looked up at him.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. She let out a laugh, but it was entirely humorless. “I’m such a mess.” 

He shook his head incredulously. “You have every right to be a mess, Marinette. I mean, you were stabbed, for God’s sake. And then set on fire. I’m pretty sure it’s natural to be a bit of a mess after that.” 

She giggled a little at that, and he was pretty sure his heart stopped beating for a second. He didn’t know it was possible to be so relieved to hear that sound. 

“And…and if anything, I should be sorry.” He said, and he looked away from her. “I shouldn’t have left you. I shouldn’t have left you alone after the Sin-You, and I shouldn’t have left you in that building. It’s my fault that you got hurt and I don’t think that’s something I can forgive myself for.” he tried to calm himself a little. “I never would have forgiven myself if I had let you die in there.” He was quiet after that. His mind was moving too quickly, and his heart was beating too fast. She could have died. It wasn’t the first time that she had been in danger, but it had been different this time. Maybe it was because he was still reeling from his conversation with Marinette, or because she had known who he was, or something else. But this time, it was  _ real _ . This time, he almost let someone else die to save her. He probably would’ve, if she hadn’t said anything. He doubted she would be okay with that. 

Marinette said nothing in response, but he could feel her shift her weight on the bed a little, until her arm just barely brushed his. He wondered if she had meant for it to stop his brain in its tracks, but either way, that was the effect it had. In an instant, his breathing slowed and he closed his eyes for a second, relishing in the feeling of her skin touching his, until he had relaxed enough to look at her. 

Her cheeks were still red from her tears, but she didn’t look quite so upset anymore. Her hair was draped over her eyes, and Adrien was suddenly overcome with the urge to brush it away, so that he could see her. Before he could even think about it, however, Marinette spoke. 

“Do you remember that night,” she started, “on my balcony? When you came to me as Chat, and I was just Marinette, and you told me you didn’t want to be alone?”

Adrien instantly remembered. And he remembered that wasn’t all he had said that night. He realized that Marinette must’ve made the connection. Between what he said about Ladybug and… and well, him. But he remembered, too, what she had said. About another boy that she was in love with, that had broken her heart. He had known, in that moment, that there was no hope for him. For them. Knowing that she was Marinette changed everything, but it couldn’t change the fact that there was someone else in her life. 

“I remember,” he said simply. And he did. He remembered how he had told her that he loved Ladybug, not knowing that he was confessing then and there. He remembered how Marinette had told him that there was probably a reason Ladybug didn’t show up, and then talked about her crush. He remembered how he had asked Ladybug not to play with his feelings, and she agreed. She agreed, and then left. Left him as alone as he had been when he showed up on Marinette’s balcony. 

“Then you recall,” Marinette whispered, “how I told you about this boy that I was in love with?”

Adrien was confused. Why was she bringing that up now? But he nodded anyway, and let her continue. He could feel how tense she was next to him, and could see that her face was even redder than it was a minute ago. Was she upset? Did he need him to find the boy and tell him she was okay? He wondered if there was someone else out there who worried about her like he did. Someone who had stayed up the past two nights as well, terrified for her. 

“That person,” Marinette continued, “that boy… that was you, Adrien.”

Adrien thought he must have died in the fire.

“It was always you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy!! This chapter was really fun to write. I hope you all enjoyed it! I'm not sure yet, but I think there's only going to be one more chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading!!!!


	7. Over the Rainbow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An honest conversation, finally.

The room was still. Outside, Marinette could hear cars and birds and people, but in the room, only the sound of her own beating heart.

“What?” Adrien breathed, staring at her. 

Marinette was close to tears again. She knew this was right. She knew, objectively, at least, that she couldn’t lie to him anymore. But she couldn’t help the overwhelming terror in her chest, that told her she was about to get rejected. Or worse, laughed at. She thought about the night in question, when she had revealed to Chat that she was in love with someone. It was the same night when he had told her that he loved Ladybug. At the time, it had been utterly shocking, and had almost knocked her off her feet. But now it seemed… distant. Like he had loved Ladybug, but there was no hope that he would love her now, as Marinette. And yet, she couldn’t keep running from her feelings, and hoping they would go away with time. 

“That boy,” she said softly, but with confidence, “was you. The boy who I was in love with.” She paused. “The boy who I  _ am  _ in love with.”

Adrien looked shellshocked. His eyes were wide open and locked on her. His breathing was shallow and rapid. Marinette braced herself for his response.

“I-- I don’t know what to say,” he whispered, and Marinette could feel her heart plummet. Her tears were threatening to spill over, and she squeezed her eyes shut as hard as she could. She had known this was coming, but… but still. She heard a sound coming from Adrien that she couldn’t quite identify, and lifted her head, more out of morbid curiosity than anything else. She peeked through her bangs and saw Adrien-- laughing? His lips were upturned and he looked like he was shaking. But-- no. He couldn’t be laughing at her. He wasn’t that cruel. And he wasn’t looking at her, but instead up at the ceiling, as he smiled in what looked like… relief. Marinette’s terror instantly turned to confusion. 

Adrien seemed to sense that he needed to do something, because he took a deep breath and looked back at Marinette, who could only imagine the look of bewilderment on her face. He was still smiling slightly. 

“I’m sorry. That was probably the last thing you wanted me to do,” Adrien started, and Marinette nodded her head a little. This was not improving her confidence at all. 

“I’m just… I mean… God, I’m stupid,” he said, and ran his fingers through his hair. “I just… I wasn’t disappointed, Marinette, when I found out who you were.”

Marinette felt a tiny bit of the tension in her chest fade as he spoke. 

“If anything,” he continued, “I was relieved. Happy, even. I mean you’re-- you’re  _ everything _ I wanted Ladybug to be. I’ve been sitting here for two days, Marinette, and at some point I realized--”  he paused for a second. Marinette’s heart was beating faster than ever before, and she knew that her face showed the shock that she was feeling.  _ He likes me _ , she thought. She had known that Adrien liked her as Marinette, in school, when they were just casual friends. But this, this was different. This was him not only being okay with, but  _ liking _ her as Ladybug, too. 

“You asked about the night I came to your balcony,” Adrien said, pressing on. “That night… I was lost, Marinette. I thought that Ladybug had ditched me. And the first person I turned to was you. I didn’t know why. But for some reason, when I thought about who I could talk to, you were the only person that came to my mind. And then-- and then when you were there, and you let me stay, I felt okay for the first time that night. I wasn’t good, or happy, but I felt comfortable. I felt  _ safe _ .” 

Adrien was gesturing with his hands as he talked, and Marinette found herself following the motions with her gaze as he talked. She felt like she couldn’t risk looking at his face. Felt like she didn’t know what she would do if she looked into his eyes, and  _ saw _ what he was feeling. His words were overwhelming enough. 

“I told you that night,” he said, and his tone had changed a little, almost imperceptibly. But his voice was softer now, in a way that Marinette couldn’t describe. “I told you about what I felt for Ladybug. I told you--” he hesitated for a second. “I told you that I loved her.” 

Marinette could feel her face burning from the memory, as if she was in that moment. 

“And I was telling the truth, Marinette. I did love Ladybug, and I do love Ladybug. And-- and sitting here for two days, not knowing when you were going to wake up,  _ if  _ you were going to wake up, and realizing that you dying would be the end of the world for me-- I realized that you were  _ everything _ , Marinette.”

He was breathing hard from his confession, and Marinette became conscious of the fact that they had both turned to face each other at some point, and were very, very close. 

“What are you saying?” Marinette whispered. She was all too aware of their proximity, of how she could feel the heat radiating off his body, and how she could practically see each fleck of color in his irises. She could even feel his intake of breath as he opened his mouth.

“I’m saying… I’m saying that I love you,” Adrien said, and Marinette stopped breathing right then and there. “I love you, Marinette, as both Ladybug, and as just… you.” 

Marinette couldn’t believe her ears. But… she really, really wanted to. More than anything, she wanted this to be true. And the overwhelming relief in her body rose up and filled her, and Marinette started to cry. She figured it probably wasn’t a good sign that her immediate reaction to someone confessing their love was to break into tears, but there wasn’t much she could do about it as tears streamed from her eyes. 

“I-- are you-- did I say something wrong?” Adrien asked, and Marinette shook her head, even as she continued to sob. Adrien looked confused, but reached out an hand and put it gently on her shoulder. Marinette couldn’t help herself as she leaned lightly into his touch. She wiped away her tears as quickly as she could.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just-- never imagined that this could happen. I mean-- I’ve been in love with you for  _ years _ , and I just-- didn’t think it was possible that you would ever love me back.” 

Adrien’s eyes widened at her confession. 

“Years?” he asked, and she nodded. “Wow,” he said, “we must be the two most oblivious people on the planet.”

Marinette smiled a little and nodded. 

“I never thought you would love me, either,” Adrien admitted, and let out a soft laugh. “Looks like we were both wrong.”

Marinette looked him in the eye fully, and again was aware of their proximity. She felt the corners of her mouth turn up. 

“Looks like,” she said, and kissed him. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I lied, there's gonna be one more chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. No Place Like Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things never change.

Marinette smoothed down the corner of the blanket she was sitting on, only to have the wind curl it up and over her lap again. She frowned and lay it flat, this time stretching out her leg on top of it to keep it down. She resisted the urge to reach into her basket and grab a biscuit. She was hungry, but was dedicated to waiting for Adrien’s arrival. She had a romantic night planned, and she was not about to let her own impatience ruin it. 

It had been about a month since her and Adrien’s first kiss, and a few weeks since she had revealed to her parents that she was dating the richest boy in town. They had taken it surprisingly well, even going so far as to extend Adrien a standing dinner invitation. However, he hadn’t taken them up on it just yet, due to the fact that any night when both Adrien and Marinette were free, they inevitably spent it patrolling the city. This was the first night in a while when they were taking a break, and they had made the mutual decision to spend it together, just the two of them. 

Marinette was determined to make the night special. It was going to be their first real date, not counting that night on the bridge before they had known each other’s identity. This was the one that counted. Marinette had the whole evening meticulously scheduled: from the candlelit picnic on her balcony to the romantic stroll along the Seine, along a path conveniently hidden from tourists. She even set up a miniature picnic on the ledge for Tikki and Plagg, although she hadn’t known what the kwamis would eat except for cheese. Nevertheless, a tiny tray of Camembert was set on top of the handkerchief, with the smallest tealight she could find lit beside it. 

Despite all Marinette’s planning, however, the date was not getting off to a good start. Adrien was already fifteen minutes late, and every anxiety she had ever had was rushing back to her, overcoming whatever measure of logic she tried employ. What if he was hurt? What is he was off fighting an akuma and hadn’t been able to call her? What if he hadn’t wanted to call her? What if he didn’t want to see her? What if he didn’t want to date her? What i--

A soft thud startled Marinette, and she looked up to see Chat Noir’s graceful form sliding off the railing in front of her. He murmured to Plagg and in an instant the black garb was gone, replaced by jeans and a white dress shirt. His mask vanished to reveal Adrien’s very embarrassed expression. He shuffled over to where Marinette was sitting. 

“I’m so, so sorry,” he said, “I tried to get out of lessons early, but my dad insisted that I stay in the house, and he’s just been so weird lately, and I had to convince him that I was studying alone, but he kept checking on me, and so--”

“It’s okay, Adrien,” Marinette cut him off. The moment he started speaking her worries abandoned her. “I forgive you,” she said and smiled at him. 

He smiled back, obviously relieved, and lowered himself down onto the blanket in front of her. 

“So, my lady, what do you have planned for us tonight?”

Marinette giggled.

“It’s a surprise, but I promise you’ll like it. For now, though,” she pulled the picnic basket in between them. “We eat.”

 

ㆍㆍㆍ

 

Adrien was struck for what felt like the millionth time by how easy it was to talk to Marinette. He had known that she was nice and interesting, but it had taken him way too long to have a real conversation with her. For the last month, though, they had been having plenty. Not only was she nice and interesting, but she was funny, intelligent, and a captivating speaker when she really got into it. Adrien found himself once again caught up in one of her stories, barely even remembering to eat the delicious meal she had prepared. 

Marinette was almost to the end of her tale when she cut off suddenly. She craned her neck around, clearly looking for something. She turned back to Adrien.

“Do you hear that?” she asked. 

Adrien abruptly became aware of a siren piercing the night’s calm silence. He also realized that up until that point he had effectively been blocking out all sounds aside from Marinette’s voice. He nodded at her. He knew exactly what she was going to say, and as much as he wanted her to keep telling him about her trip to Germany, he knew her better than that. He grimaced. 

“Could be nothing,” he said, barely believing his own words.

“Could be something,” she replied. 

Marinette stood and held out a hand to Adrien. He grasped it and lifted himself up. Both of them turned toward the source of the noise, although they did not let go of each other’s hand. Adrien sighed. The two of them spoke simultaneously, and were caught up in flashes of light as they transformed. 

Without a word, they took off running across the rooftops of Paris, leaving the candles still burning on the balcony. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much to anyone who read this! (Also sorry that this is like three weeks late)
> 
> This is it! The final chapter of my first foray into Miraculous fanfiction. I hope you all liked it, and hopefully I will return with something new!


End file.
